The Dolomites with The Preserve

Benvenuto in Italia! Upon your arrival in Venice, you’ll be whisked away through the heart of Veneto—past rolling vineyards and Roman ruins—en route to our alpine sanctuary at the foot of the Dolomites. We’ll convene for an aperitif in the early afternoon to celebrate the truly incredible journey that awaits us.

For those of us feeling energized, we’ll organize a short hike to a stunning viewpoint. Think of it as a dazzling appetizer for the week of unbelievable vistas to come. Our welcome dinner this evening is the first of many exceptional dining experiences. Over sumptuous courses like chicken roulade with olives and sautéed artichokes at Al Camin, we’ll toast once more to a transformative week together. 

Day 1: 2.3 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes, 400 ft elevation gain

We begin the morning with a breathtaking gondola ride to Mount Faloria. As the panorama
fades to beautiful larch forests, we’ll disembark on solid ground and begin our walk. Soon enough the forests give way to pastures and we’ll find ourselves face-to-face with the shepherds and cheesemakers of one of the area’s most beautiful organic farms.

Far from a rustic shed tossed in the mountains, the Malga El Brite is owned by 1-star Michelin restaurant San Britte, and much of the produce harvested here will feature on their stunning tasting menus. We’ll begin our experiences with a Tomme cheese tasting, and we’ll promptly sit down for an exclusive farm-to-table lunch.

We’ll spend the balance of the afternoon winding down the trodden path to the hotel, and taking some free time to relax and luxuriate. Dinner tonight is pure elegance and just down the hallway. The Ristorante Savoy has invited us down to its elegant dining room for a multi-course meal steeped in heritage ingredients and local flavor.

Day 2: 6.8 miles, 3.5 hours, ‘2700 ft elevation loss

Today, our hiking route will take us past the iconic Cinque Torri (Five Towers). With ambling trails through beautiful meadows carpeted in verdant grass and brilliant wildflowers, we’ll see jagged massifs. Near the top, we’ll actually walk right into a mesmerizing open-air WWI museum. The Dolomites were contested territory during WWI, and several regiments of Italian soldiers were stationed on these snow-capped peaks throughout the campaign. 

After bearing witness to this important history, we’ll make our way to Rifugio Nuvolau, which means “Hut in the Clouds” in the local Friulian dialect. We’ll make ourselves at home in this modest alpine inn, and sit down for a home-made no frills lunch. Think piquant goulash with an Italian twist or fresh salami and local cheeses. Buoyed by the warmth of alpine hospitality, we’ll float back down—through picturesque meadows and rocky steppes—to Passo Giau where we’ll transfer back to the hotel. 

No matter how cozy your bed looks, now is not the time for risposo. Dinner tonight is at Michelin-starred San Brite where chef Riccardo Gaspari and his sommelier wife, Ludovica Rubbini, will lead us in a culinary journey echoing the marvel of our travels thus far.

Day 3: 4.5 miles, 3 hours, ‘1770 ft elevation gain, ‘1300 ft elevation loss

Today, once again, we embark over towering rock walls, lush meadows and serene alpine lakes. In fact, we’ll circumnavigate the formidable Tre Cime or Three Summits, and we’ll be literally walking through clouds as mountain peaks emerge in and out of our periphery.

Halfway through this epic day of climbing will stop for lunch at a modest family hut. Though you won’t find elegant dining rooms or elaborate tasting menus, you will be greeted with unqualified hospitality and some of the best comfort food in all of the Dolomites. Recharged and feeling invincible, we’ll press onward through narrow defiles only to bask in the vast expanse of the top of the world.   

After an incredible day in the clouds, we’ll descend back to our village and take the afternoon and evening to ourselves. We recommend a hot stone spa treatment followed by an Aperol spritz! 

Day 4: 6.5 miles, 4 hours,  ‘1200 ft elevation gain

This morning we bid arrivederci to Cortina and head to San Cassiano, a storybook hamlet in the heart of the Dolomites. Before settling into our five-star sanctuary, we take a short chair lift ride to discover the Pralongià Plateau, also known as the Amphitheatre of the Dolomites, with spectacular views of the peaks all around the valley. 

After relishing another ethereal view—the sky seems even more magnified in this region—we’ll hike back through meadows dotted with edelweiss and marsh orchids through old-growth and forests, all the way to the entrance to our hotel. Once we settle into our alpine chateau—which truly dwells at the pinnacle of rustic luxury—we’ll split up into two groups. Half of us will join Michelin-star chef Simone Cantafio for an unforgettable cooking experience (the rest of us will join him tomorrow). 

We’ll all reconvene later for dinner at the hotel, where the menu—traditional dishes from Alta Badia and South Tyrol—is the best kept secret in San Cassiano.

Day 5: 6 miles, 3.5 hours, ‘560 ft elevation gain, ‘2000 ft elevation loss

Today is the epitome of “Choose Your Own Adventure.” If a hike through lunar-like landscapes sounds appealing, we’ll take a gondola to the alpine highline and traverse the Gruppo Stella to Peak Boe, a staggering panorama of the Dolomites and Carnic Alps.
If you’re feeling a little less adventurous, we’ll take a more casual light hike around the Ladin Farmsteads and past the church of Santa Barbara and its iconic tower—that quite literally juts out from the side of a mountain—where we’ll have a farm-to-table lunch, specially curated to highlight the farmers of the region.

In the afternoon, half of us will follow Michelin-star chef Simone Cantafio into his test kitchen, and those who met her yesterday will have the afternoon on their own.

Dinner is down the road at the buzziest new restaurant in the region. Mumant, helmed by the Manuel Mangutsch, awaits with its elegant tasting menu, which features elevated re-imaginings of Val Badia specialties.

Day 6: Peak Boe option: 5.5 miles, 3 hours, ‘550 ft elevation gain, ‘2000 ft elevation loss

Santa Barbara church option: 5 miles, 3 hours, ‘1500 ft elevation loss and gain

For our last full day, we’ll traverse the Path of the Larches. As the name suggests, we’ll duck in and out of Alpine forests until we emerge at a viewpoint, where we can look across the horizon and actually catalog the peaks we’ve visited in the last week.

For folks looking for a more elaborate and technical experience, we are also offering the option of a guided Via Ferrata climb. This is a route that requires ropes and a bit of mountaineering experience. Trails on this route are narrow, but the views and the experience are exhilarating to say the least.  Regardless of the path we took this morning, we’ll reconvene for lunch at Rifugio Santa Croce, one of the oldest mountain huts in the valley.

We’ll descend into town together and take some leisure time to ourselves in the afternoon. Tonight, we go out in style, with our farewell dinner at Michelin-starred La Stüa de Michil. Over courses that not only pay homage to traditional recipes, but also experiment with new presentations and ingredients, we’ll toast to an amazing week of adventure. 

Day 7: 3.7 miles, 4 hours, ‘1550 ft elevation gain

One last look at the soaring walls of the Dolomites, the plunging valley slopes and the quaint village views. Our time in this picturesque part of Italy has come to an end, but will stay with us forever. As the Ladin say, A s’udëi! Until next time.